World Health Organisation Introduces Gaming Disorder

The World Health Organisation has added the term “gaming disorder” to its International Classification of Diseases. It refers to people who are addicted to video and other games and cannot stop. It is the first update in the WHO’s catalogue in almost three decades.

According to the WHO, gaming becomes a disorder if you are unable to control how long you play and when to stop. When that happens, it gets control of your life, influences everyday situations and affects your daily routine. WHO officials say that excessive gaming is a serious disorder that must be closely watched

In order for a person to be regarded as having a gaming disorder, the behaviour must be going on for at least one year, either constantly or in phases. Gamers put their addiction above their family life, meeting with friends and going to school.

On one side studies have shown that playing video games may help with problems likedepression anddementia.However, gaming is highlyaddictive and many people play for a longer time than is healthy. As a result, people get fired for not going to work or miss school classes for a longer period of time.

Many continue with their addiction, even if they see and realize the negative consequences it leads to.

Gaming is now regarded as a WHO disorder – Image: Marco Verch

Words

according to = as said by …

addicted to = not able to stop doing something that may be harmful

addiction = when you have to and want to do something regularly

behaviour = here: too much gaming

classification = when you put people into a group

consequence = result

constantly = all the time, without interruption

daily routine = what you normally do every day

decade = ten years

dementia = illness that affects the brain, in which you cannot think clearly and behave in a normal way; you also forget a lot of things

depression = situation in which you are unhappy, nervous and cannot live a normal life

disorder = mental or physical illness which stops your body from working the way it should

excessive = too much

get fired = lose your job

highly addictive = here: the will to play a game is so strong you cannot stop

however = but

influence = change

official = person who is in a high position in an organisation

realize = understand how bad the situation is

refer = to be about something

regard as = here: to put a person into this category

serious = very bad

studies = work that is done to find out more about a topic

update = change

World Health Organisation (WHO) = international organisation that is part of the United Nations, which helps countries improve the health of their population; it also offers information about diseases and provides medicine